NCTA By-Laws
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA TRAPPERS ASSOCIATION (NCTA)
PREPARED AND WRITTEN BY
NCTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
REVISED
SEPTEMBER 29, 2018
BY-LAW AMENDMENTS as of this the 29th day of September 2018.
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of this organization shall be the North Carolina Trappers Association, Inc. (NCTA).
ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVES
(A). To provide information that will allow Association members to engage in responsible trapping.
(B). To promote trapper and trapline safety.
(C). To encourage the practice of good sportsmanship and compliance with local, state, and federal game laws.
(D). To support wildlife conservation programs and to assist wildlife management programs in North Carolina.
(E). To strengthen landowner/trapper cooperation and understanding.
(F). To increase knowledge and practice of trapping skills, marksmanship, and other outdoor recreation skills that are harmonious with the activity of trapping.
(G). To cooperate with other organizations which share the objectives stated in paragraphs (A) through (F).
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Any citizen of the United States may become a member of this Association after.
(1). Truthfully subscribing to the following pledge.
(2). Payment of the membership dues.
The North Carolina Trappers Association pledge is as follows:
I certify that I am a citizen of good repute in the United States of America; that I am not a member of any organization or group having as its purpose or one of its purposes the overthrow by force or violence of the government of the United States or any state therein; that I have never been convicted of a crime of violence; and that, if admitted to membership, I will fulfill the obligations of good sportsmanship and good citizenship.
Association members shall also subscribe to the NCTA's Trapper Code of Ethics as follows:
(1). I shall consider myself an invited guest of the landowner, seeking their permission, and so conducting myself that I may be welcome in the future.
(2). I shall obey the rules of safe trapping, safe gun handling, and shall courteously but firmly insist that others who trap with me do the same.
(3). I shall obey all game laws/regulations and will insist that my companions do likewise.
(4). I shall not tamper with the traps of another trapper or infringe on his/her territory without his/her consent.
(5). I shall avoid setting traps in areas where domestic animals may be caught.
(6). I shall assist farmers and landowners with wildlife damage problems.
(7). I shall check my traps as required by law.
(8). I shall dispose of animal carcasses properly.
(9). I shall support and aid new trappers.
(10). I shall strive to maintain a good relationship with other sportsmen.
(11). I shall support conservation efforts which will assure good trapping for future generations of America.
(12). I shall pass on to younger trappers attitudes and skills essential to be a true sportsman.
ARTICLE IV
DUES
(A). The member’s annual dues to the Association shall be $30 payable no later than the first day of the month of which membership expires. Youth membership (under 16) dues shall be $15. Senior membership (over 70) dues shall be $20. Life-time membership shall be $425 with a $100 minimum down payment and the remaining balance shall be paid within ten (10) months in monthly installments. Senior life-time membership (over 70) shall be $200. Each of the above membership categories shall include a subscription to a publication as determined by the Board of Directors. Three other membership options available do not include a subscription to the publication.
(1). Supporter youth under 16 ($10)
(2). Supporter ($15)
(3). Life-time supporter ($200)
(B). No member of the Association whose dues are in arrears shall be eligible to vote or enjoy any other of the privileges or benefits offered by the Association.
ARTICLE V
MEETING
(A). Annual Meeting: The annual meeting of the Association shall be held on the Saturday of the weekend of the annual convention - either the last weekend in September or the first weekend in October. If the annual meeting shall not be held or take place at the time fixed, it shall be held within a reasonable time thereafter, and the officers shall hold over until their successors shall have been elected.
(B). Regular Meetings: The regular business meeting of the Board of Directors for the transaction of ordinary business shall be held at least quarterly and announced by the President.
(C). Special Meetings: A special meeting of the Association may be held at any time upon the call of the President, or upon the call of the Board of Directors, or upon demand in writing, stating the object of the proposed meeting, and signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) of the members entitled to vote. Notice of the time, place, and object of any special meeting shall be given to all officers and members in good standing in writing by U.S. mail not less than seven days prior to the date fixed for the holding of the meeting. The place of such special meeting shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.
(D). Quorum: One fifth (1/5) of the members entitled to vote must be present to constitute a quorum at any meeting. No action on behalf of the Association at any meeting whether annual, regular, or special, shall be taken without a quorum present.
ARTICLE VI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(A). The Association shall be managed by the Board of Directors of not less than nine (9) and not more than eighteen (18) members, which consists of two members from each district. The Board of Directors shall be elected annually by the members present at the annual meeting. The Board of Directors shall also elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, General Organizer, and a Membership Secretary. Officers shall be able to hold office for an unlimited term if re-elected by the Board of Directors.
(B). There shall be eight (8) Director at Large positions on the Board of Directors and they shall be appointed by the President and shall have no voting power. They shall be re-appointed annually.
(C). The Board of Directors shall have general supervision and control of all the activities of the Association. The Board of Directors shall make agreements with other organizations and individuals to carry out the objective of the Association.
(D). Resignation of any officer or board member may be accepted by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board of Directors.
(E). A vacancy of any officer or board member may be filled by the President pending a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board of Directors.
(F). All officers must be eighteen (18) years of age or older.
ARTICLE VII
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Duties of Board of Directors Members
(A). President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors. He/She shall be a member ex-officio of all regular and special meetings and shall perform all other duties as usual pertaining to the office. He/She shall be a member ex-officio of all committees accept the nomination committee. Ex-officio status shall not prevent the President from participating as a member of the Board of Directors or committees.
(B). Vice-President: The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence or at his/her request, therefore must be engaged with / abreast of all current and planned activities.
(C). Secretary: The Secretary shall conduct all official correspondence pertaining to the proper preparation and forwarding of all reports required of the Association. He/She shall notify the members of the Board of Directors of all meetings and shall notify the members of special and annual meetings as required by Article V. He/She shall keep a true record of all meetings and have the custody of all books and papers of the Association except the Treasurer’s books of account.
(D). Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds of the Association and place the same in such a bank or banks as may be approved by the Board of Directors. Such money shall be drawn by check signed by the Treasurer and for the payment of such bills as shall have been approved by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all his/her transactions, render a detailed report with vouchers at any meeting of the Board of Directors when requested, and shall prepare an annual report to the Association members at the annual meeting. He/She shall be responsible for re-affiliating the Association with its affiliated associations and filing paperwork regarding incorporation/internal revenue service etc. as approved by the Board of Directors.
(E). General Organizer: The General Organizer shall appoint additional organizers to help direct the Annual Convention and other Association activities. He/She shall be responsible for enforcing Association safety regulations, compliance with game laws, the N.C.T.A. Code of Ethics, and observance of agreements made with landowners or other organizations.
(F). Membership Secretary: The Membership Secretary shall be responsible for collection of all dues and shall remit them to the Treasurer, taking his/her proper receipt there from. He/She shall maintain an accurate roster of members by county of residence and shall schedule renewal times to prevent total membership expiration on any such date and time. He/She shall report membership numbers at the Board of Directors meetings. He/She shall drive membership growth through recruiting initiatives and Association events.
(G). District Directors: The District Directors shall be responsible for the NCTA constituents in their district. He/She shall represent the NCTA, recruiting new members while sustaining existing memberships in their district. The District Directors will work with WRC Certified Education Instructors in the planning / scheduling / execution of education events.
Duties of Director At Large Members
(H). NTA Director: The NTA Director shall serve on the Board of Directors of the NTA. He/She shall represent the NCTA, by carrying forward all NCTA concerns and positions on issues affecting NCTA members. The NTA Director will keep the NCTA Board of Directors and membership, abreast of current NTA issues and actions.
(I). FTA Director: The FTA Director shall serve on the Board of Directors of the FTA. He/She shall represent the NCTA, by carrying forward all NCTA concerns and positions on issues affecting NCTA members. The FTA Director will keep the NCTA Board of Directors and membership, abreast of current FTA issues and actions.
(J). Education Coordinator: The Education Coordinator shall provide WRC Certified Education Instructors guidance on scheduling one day trapper education classes through the WRC Hunter Education Program in Event Manager. He/She shall provide WRC Certified Education Instructors with the WRC District Hunter Education Specialist contact information. Maintain list of annual education classes conducted. He/She shall coordinate all NCTA trapper education events. He/She shall chair and coordinate the Education Committee and the Furbearer Research Grant Committee. He/She shall encourage members to become WRC Certified Education Instructors. He/She shall maintain open and effective relationships with appropriate WRC Education personnel while participating in WRC Education Committees and Working Groups on behalf of NCTA Board of Directors. He/She shall provide Trapper Education updates to the Board of Directors at regularly scheduled meetings and assists the Board of Directors to promote responsible trapping of renewable furbearing resources.
(K). Merchandise Coordinator: The Merchandise Coordinator shall plan, order and sell NCTA merchandise at NCTA events including the Dixie Deer Classic and the annual NCTA Convention. The Merchandise Coordinator shall keep a running inventory of merchandise, its costs / value, and report to the Board of Directors at regularly scheduled meetings. Other events should be covered on an “as available” basis.
(L). Newsletter Editor: The Newsletter Editor shall plan, create and distribute a minimum of two newsletters per year. He/She shall solicit sponsorships as much as possible to help offset expenses.
(M). Website Coordinator: The Website Coordinator shall be responsible for the administration and maintenance of the official website of the NCTA and talk forum keeping both up to date with current and pertinent information regarding the structure and activities of the NCTA. This includes maintaining ownership of the domain name and hosting service as authorized by the Board of Directors.
(N). Property Coordinator: The Property Coordinator is responsible for developing and maintaining an inventory of all durable non-consumable property owned by the NCTA and a current listing of who has custody of the property. This includes but is not limited to banners, sets of fur, sound system, computer equipment, kitchen utensils and any other durable non-consumable goods that may be procured in the future as authorized by the Board of Directors.
(O). Director At Large: The Director At Large positions shall represent the NCTA, recruiting new members, sustaining existing memberships, and will assist the NCTA as authorized by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VIII
SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION
(A). Any officer may be removed by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the members in good standing present at any meeting called for this purpose. No vote on suspension or removal may be taken unless fifteen (15) days’ notice in writing shall be given to the officer stating the reason(s) for his/her removal and the time and place of the special meeting at which such ballot on his/her removal is to be taken. At such meeting, the officer shall be given a full hearing.
(B). Any member may be suspended or expelled from the Association for any cause deemed sufficient by the Association by two thirds (2/3) of members of the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting. No vote on suspension or expulsion may be taken unless fifteen (15) days’ notice in writing shall be given to the member stating the charges preferred and of the time and place of the meeting of the Board of Directors at which such charges will be considered. At such meeting, the member shall be given a full hearing.
(C). Charges against any member or officer may be preferred by any member in good standing. They shall be in writing, clearly stating the facts relied upon and accompanied by all affidavits or exhibits which are to be used in their support. Such charges shall be filed with the Secretary, who will immediately notify the President. The President will call a meeting of the Board of Directors to hear the charges. The Secretary will give at least fifteen (15) days’ notice of the meeting to each member of the Board of Directors and to the accuser and the accused, which notice shall be in writing and will include a true copy of the charges and of the supporting affidavits and exhibits.
(D). Any member suspended or expelled by the Board of Directors may appeal to the full membership of the Association. Such appeal shall be made to the Secretary in writing, who will notify the President. The President will call a special meeting of the Association for the purpose of acting on the appeal. The Secretary shall give at least fifteen (15) days’ notice to all members of the Association in good standing, stating the date, time, place, and reason for such special meeting. At the meeting of the full membership, the Secretary will read the original charges, the supporting affidavits, and will read or display the accompanying exhibits, and will read the minutes of the special meeting of the Board of Directors at which the charges were heard and action taken. A full hearing will be given to the accuser and the accused. A vote will be taken by ballot of the members in good standing present and a two-thirds (2/3) vote shall be required to reverse the action of the Board of Directors.
(E). Any official member of the Association who has been suspended or expelled shall automatically stand suspended from all affiliated associations of the NCTA. Such associations shall be notified in writing within fifteen (15) days of such suspension by the Secretary.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS
Proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws may be submitted in writing by any member of the Association. Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall submit the proposed changes in writing to the General Membership at least thirty (30) days prior to a regular meeting or special meeting called for that purpose where the proposed changes are to be considered. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at such meeting shall be necessary to pass each proposed amendment. Any member shall be provided with a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws upon request.
I hereby certify that the amendments of the Constitution and By-Laws as herein written have been adopted by the Association on this the 29th day of September 2018.
President________________________________________________ Date: 9-29-2018
Kevin Myers
Secretary________________________________________________ Date: 9-29-2018
Matt Bishop